Weekly Update: April 13 - April 24

Shop Steward Training

This week, we held a virtual Shop Steward Basic Training course from April 21–23. We had 16 members participate from our Telus, Rogers and Stratcom certifications. The course was facilitated by Chris Endicott from Prince George and Keller Reeves from Rogers Abbotsford. 

For this round of training, we updated the course material to make it less Telus-centric and more broadly applicable across our growing certifications. We have received positive feedback and are excited to offer more training this fall, or sooner when we have enough members signed up for a full class. 

To sign up for a future course, please register here:  Shop Steward sign-up form

Bargaining Updates 

Bargaining at Local 1944 has been extremely busy. We currently have three new certifications in bargaining:

Ericsson Bargaining 

From April 13–17, Staff Representative Jayson Little and Local Union Reps Steve McWhirter and Alexander Livingston attended in-person bargaining training in Winnipeg. Over three days, they participated in training and worked on the bargaining survey that will be sent to members. 

Ericsson members are field technicians that keep the Rogers cellular infrastructure running and facilitate its improvements. Because the work of this group is so diverse, with members across the country, it's a priority for the Local that we ensure all members concerns are heard and reflected in proposals. 

Keewatin Air Bargaining 

Bargaining continued on April 20, as the bargaining committee met with the Company to discuss and table proposals related to: 

• Shift rotations 

• Base preferences 

• Fatigue management policy 

• Overtime 

• Scheduling and hours of work 

Keewatin Air plays an important role supporting residents, workers and travellers in Canada’s remote Arctic regions. It is one of the country’s most comprehensive aeromedical organizations, providing emergency air ambulance services 365 days a year. Our new members are instrumental in delivering this service. 

Captec Bargaining 

This week, prep work continued for Captec bargaining with Jayson Little and Steve McWhirter. Captec members are located in Cambridge, Ontario. Bargaining began earlier this year and the parties continue to meet regularly. 

Telus Bargaining Survey Reminder 

Telus members — have you completed the bargaining survey? 

The survey remains open until April 30. Please take the time to fill it out and share your feedback. Bargaining proposals are shaped by member priorities, and your input matters. 

The survey was emailed to members on April 1. If you did not receive it, or are not getting updates from the Local, please contact us at: contact@usw1944.ca

In Solidarity,

Jenn Turner

Vice-President

USW Local 1944